Vending machines for packaged merchandise or the like



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. $0M

A. R. OBOURN I VEND ING MACHINES FOR PACKAGED MERCHANDISE OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1955 Aug. 12, 1958 A 7702 NEVS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 40

. III mi A. R. OBOURN ArrORA/E'Zs'.

VENDING MACHINES FOR PACKAGED MERCHANDISE OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9. 1955 I Aug. 12, 1958 Aug. 12, 1958 Filed Feb. 9. 1955 A. R. OBOURN VENDING MACHINES FOR PACKAGED MERCHANDISE OR THE L IKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2,847,146 Patented Aug. 12, 1958 fice VENDING MACHINES FOR PACKAGED MERCHANDISE OR THE LIKE Amos R. Obourn, Janesville, Wis.

Application February 9, 1955, Serial No. 487,038

9 Claims. (Cl. 221-129) This invention relates to improvements in vending machines for packaged merchandise or the like.

Due to the introduction of so many different brands and types of cigarettes, such as king size and regular size, filter tip and non-filter tip, there has been a considerable problem presented in providing a cigarette vending machine which will handle enough different varieties without having the machine use up an excessive amount of floor space.

it is a principal object of the present invention to proide a vending machine having a plurality of vertical columns, the lower section of each column being filled Witt cigarettes which are fed upwardly, and the upper section of the same vertical column being filled with cigarettes of another type or brand which are fed downwardly, there being common means located between said upwardly and downwardly feeding column portions for selectively discharging cigarettes therefrom.

it is a further object of the present invention to provide a vending machine of the class described in which there are vertical magazines, there being upper magazines terminating intermediate the height of the vending machine from which cigarettes are progressively vended from the bottom, and there being lower magazines from which cigarettes are vended from the .top, and there being common mechanism located between the upper and lower magazines for controlling the vending from both.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device as above described wherein a sight window located intermediate the height of the vending machine provides a view of several of the uppermost packages of the lower magazines and also a view of several of the lowermost packages of the upper magazines. Thus, the machine will comply with laws of those states which require that several packages of each brand or type be always visible so that a Government inspector can tell at a glance whether the cigarettes in the machine carry the proper tar; stamps.

A further object of the invention is to provide common dispensing mechanism located in a single horizontal plane between the upper and lower magazines.

A st ll further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing tampering with the mechanism by the use of a wire or other object inserted through the discharge opening.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a vending machine having an oscillatable discharge bin automatically operable to prevent tampering, together with a pack holder for retaining the lowermost pack of each upper magazine until the plunger for ejecting said pack is manipulated. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a machine having magazines in which merchandise is fed upwardly, means for inverting said magazines when the housing of the vending machine is open, to facilitate loading. By this method, continuous rotation of the stock is insured, and the possibility of having several packages remain continually in a magazine, to get stale, is eliminated.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved vending machine for packaged merchandise, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a transverse vertical sectional view through a cigarette vending machine incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View on an enlarged scale showing the package dispensing mechanism as it coacts with the upper and lower magazines, the said view being taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4, to best illustrate the arrangement of the pack pushout for the upper magazines;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-4) of Fig. 4 to best show the pack pushout member for the uppermost pack of a lower magazine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the cigarette vending cabinet, parts being broken away; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the plunger, pack pushout plate, and pack holder for an upper magazine, part of the operating bar being shown in position;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the plunger and pack pushout member for a lower magazine, part of the operating bar being shown in position;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the reciprocatable gate, part being broken away and shown in section; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pushc-ut plunger housing alone.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 15 designates a suitable cabinet having .a movable front door 16, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6. The front door includes a window opening 17 fitted with glass or other transparent material 18, whereby several of the lower packages 19 of the upper magazines 20 are visible through the window, as well as several of the upper packs 21 of the lower magazines 22. Near the-top of the cabinet door 16 there may be a row of pictures 23 in vertical alinement with the magazines to indicate the brands and types of cigarettes in the upper magazines. A similar row of pictures 24 will indicate the types and brands of cigarettes in the lower magazines. Below each of the pictures 23 is a manually operable button 25, and below each of the pictures 24- is a manually operable button 26. The usual coin slot 27 and coin return 28 may also be provided.

The unit forming the upper magazines is suitably fixed in the cabinet in the position shown in Fig. 1. It includes a back wall 29, spaced vertical walls 30, and spaced front pack holding flanges 31. Between each two of the spaced vertical walls 30 is one of the upper magazines.

The lower magazine assembly 32 has a hinge bracket 33 projecting forwardly from each side thereof near the side walls of the housing. Suitably secured to the back wall of the housing and projecting forwardly close to each housing side is a hinge bracket 34. The hinge brackets 33 on the lower magazine unit are suitably pivotally connected to the hinge brackets 34 of the cabinet as at 35, to provide for swinging movement of the magazine assembly 32 from the full line position of Fig. l to the u inverted dot and dash line position therein when the front 16 of the housing is opened.

The lower magazine assembly 32 includes spaced vertical partitions 36 having front pack holding flanges 37 and rear pack holding flanges 38. Between each two vertical partitions 36 is an individual magazine which is preferably in vertical alinement with a corresponding magazine of the upper magazine assembly 20.

Projecting rearwardly from the ends of the lower magazine assembly 32 are retaining extensions 39 having inwardly bent flanges 40 for slidably receiving a lift unit 41. A track 42 for each magazine coacts with wheels 43 of an elevator 44. Each elevator 44 includesa forwardly projecting finger 45 projecting into its magazine for supporting the column of cigarettes 21, the bottommost pack of the column resting on the finger 45. Each elevator 44 is constantly resiliently urged in an upward direction by suitable resilient means such as an elastic cable 46 which has one end connected to its elevator and which extends upwardly over a pulley 47, and then downwardly where its other end is anchored as at 48. Thus, after the uppermost pack of a lower magazine is vended, the elevator will urge the column of cigarettes 21 upwardly, so that the uppermost pack of the column is in position to be vended the next time there is a call for cigarettes from this magazine.

When the lower magazine assembly 32 is swung to the inverted dot and dash line position of Fig. l, and in order to facilitate loading, the lift unit 41 may be vertically slid out of its assembled position between the projections 39.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 to inclusive, the common dispensing unit includes a horizontal pushout-plunger housing 49 located between the bottoms of the upper magazines and the tops of the lower magazines. The housing 49 includes a front wall 50 having a plurality of short slots 51, there being one slot at the side of each magazine. The housing also includes a top wall 52 (see Fig. 5) having a plurality of plunger guiding slots 53, one for each magazine. The housing 49 also includes a bottom wall 54 (see Fig. 2) having a plurality of plunger guiding slots 55 (see Figs. 3 and 5), one for each magazine. The slots 53 and 55 for each magazine are oflset laterally as shown in Fig. 5 with respect to one another.

The bottom wall of the plunger housing 49 extends L rearwardly a substantial distance beyond the upper wall as at 56 (see Fig. 2) to provide a shelf. The rear edge of the upper wall is flanged upwardly as at 57 to support a rear wall plate 58. There are slots 59 (see Figs. 2 and and also spaced plunger openings 60 and 61.

Each plunger opening 66 is alined with a slot 55 in the bottom wall of the housing 49 and each of the alternate plunger openings 61 is alined with one of the slots 53 in the top wall of the plunger housing 49.

Each of the plunger holes 60 is equipped with a plunger 62 (see Fig. 3) which has a narrowed upper portion of a depending pack pushout plate 63 connected thereto by screws 64. The narrowed upper portion of each pushout plate 63 projects downwardly through its slot 55. Each plate 63 has a rearwardly flanged horizontal portion 65. With this arrangement, if the plunger 62 of Fig. 3 is moved toward the left, the pushout plate 63 will engage the uppermost pack 21 of the respective lower magazine and push the pack 21 forwardly until it is free of the column so that it can fall into the discharge bin 95 as will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to Fig. 2, each of the alternate holes 61 inthe plunger housing 49 is fitted with a plunger 66. Connected to the inner end of each plunger 66 is the narrowed lower portion of an upper pushout plate 67, said narrowed portion projecting upwardly through a slot 53 in the top of the plunger housing, and said pushout plate 67 having a rearwardly bent extension 68 which projects slidably through one of the slots 59.

Also secured to the end of each plunger 66 is a pack holding extension which includes a forwardly projecting arm 69 (see Fig. 7), each arm 69 projecting slidably through one of the slots 51 in the front wall 50 of the plunger housing (see Fig. 4). The forward end of each arm 69 is bent laterally as at 70 and then upwardly to provide a pack holding finger 71. The purpose of these pack holding fingers is to always lock the bottommost pack of each of the upper magazines against displacement unless the plunger for a particular magazine is being operated. Thus, one of these packs cannot be jostled out by tilting of the vending machine.

Extending along the rear of the machine, and traversing the rear ends of all of the plungers 62 and 66, is a horizontal operating bar 72 having a hole 73 alined with each plunger, each of the plungers having a hole 74. The ends of the operating bar 72 are connected with the upwardly projecting ends 74 of horizontal side arms 75. The forward ends of the arms 75 are eonnected to the ends of a gate 76 (see Fig. 9). Projecting downwardly from the arms 75, near their forward ends, are legs 77, each leg having a roller 78 thereon.

The operating bar 72 is actuated by one arm '79 of a bellcrank lever (see Fig. l). The lever is suitably pivoted to a housing bracket as at 30. Another arm 81 of the bellcrank is pivotally connected to the lower end of a crank arm 82 suitably driven by an electric motor 83. The motor is connected by wires 84 and 85 with a switch having contact fingers 86 and 87.

Movable in each of the plunger holes 74 is a pin 88 having a bottom head 89 (see Figs. 2 and 3). For each pin 88 there is a plunger 9 of a solenoid 91, each plunger having a head 92 which is adapted to coact with the head 89 of its'pin.

When a solenoid 91 is electrically energized as a result of pressure upon one of the selector buttons 25 on the outside of the case (in a manner well known and not described herein) the plunger will be projected upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 1. This will cause the upper end of the particular pin 88 to enter the alined hole 73 of the operating bar as shown in Fig. 2 to lock the selected plunger to the operating bar. At the same time the upper end of the pin 88 will push the lowermost electric contact member 87 into engagement with the cooperating contact 86 to start the electric motor 83 and cause the bellcrank arm 79 to move to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 1. This, therefore, moves the operating bar 72 forwardly, but only the plunger 62 or 66 which is locked to it by one of the pins 88 is moved forwardly with the operating bar. If the plunger which is being moved is one of those having an upper pushout plate 67 connected thereto, such as a plunger 66, then the lowermost of packs 19 of the particular upper magzv zine with which the-plunger is associated is dispensed. If the plunger which is being moved is one having a lower pushout plate 63 connected thereto, such as a plunger 62, then the uppermost pack 21 of the particular lower magazine with which said plunger is associated is dispensed.

When a locking pin 88 is in the engaged position of Fig. 2, its head 89 will be at least partly on the shelf 56 before it is moved out of engagement with the head 92 of the solenoid plunger 90, to be retained against falling downwardly by gravity until the plunger 62 or 66 has completed its dispensing and return stroke. At the end of the return stroke, with the solenoid plunger 90 in a lowered position as in Fig. 3, then the head 89 of the pin 88 will ultimately fall off of the shelf 56 to disengage the upper end of the pin 88 from the operating bar 72 as in Fig. 3.

Underneath the forward end of each plunger 62 or 66 there may, if desired, be a transverse notch 93 which is normally engaged by a transversely movable locking slide 94. When a particular plunger 66 is being operated the slide 94 is automatically moved clear of the I notch 93 of the particular plunger so that the one plunger can be moved, and all of the other plungers are positively locked by their locking slides 94, in a manner well known in the industry, so that there can be no accidental move ment of them due to frictional engagement with the operating bar 72 or for other reasons.

From Fig. 9 it is clear that, as the operating bar 72 is moved forwardly, the gate 76 is pushed forwardly from the full line position of Fig. 1 to the dot and dash line position. This, therefore, positively opens the fronts of the magazines so that the pack being dispensed may be pushed forwardly without interference from the gate 76. When the gate is in the full line position of Fig. 1 it positively prevents any of the packs which are in discharge position from being worked out by misuse of the machine.

A discharge bin 95 includes one wall 96 and another wall 97 at right angles thereto. There are also inwardly projecting ears 98 at the opposite ends of the bin. When the gate 76 and its legs 77 are in the withdrawn position, the rollers 78 at the lower ends of the legs engage the ears 98 to force them to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1, to thereby cause pivoting of the bin on the pivot 99 to the full line position shown in Fig. 1. When in this position the wall 96 of the bin positively prevents anyone from inserting a wire into the discharge opening 100 far enough to get access to the magazines. The bin pivot 99 may be connected to the sides of the door 16.

When, however, a plunger makes a discharge stroke to move the gate 76 and its legs 77 to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 1, then the ears 98 are freed from the rollers 78 and the rollers engage the underside of the wall 97 to swing the bin 95 on the pivot 99 to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 1. The packages will then fall into the bin 95 onto the wall 97. There is a discharge chute 101 carried by the inner side of the front door 16.

Summary of operation After the correct amount of money has been inserted in the coin slot 27, the customer presses a selected one of the push buttons 25 or 26. Due to the fact that each vertical column in the machine comprises an upper and a lower magazine, it is possible with this machine to have two different types of cigarettes in each vertical column, both types being visible through the sight window 18. With this arrangement twice as many different brands or types of cigarettes may be carried as would otherwise be possible in a given amount of floor space.

When a particular push button 25 for one of the upper magazines is pushed, if the magazine has merchandise in it the solenoid 91 for said magazine will be energized. This causes a projection of the plunger 9%) for said solenoid from a lowered position such as is shown in Fig. 3, to a raised position such as is shown in Fig. 2. During such movement the head 92 of the plunger engages the head 89 of the locking pin 88 thereabove to push the upper end of the locking pin upwardly from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 2 where it has entered a hole 73 in the operating bar 72. The upper end of the pin also causes closing of the switch 8687 to complete the circuit to the electric motor 83. Through the bellcrank arms 79 and 81 and crank link 82 the motor causes the arm 79 to swing from the full line position of Fig. 1 to the dot and dash line position and back again. During such movement the operating bar 72 is pulled forwardly, but only that plunger 66 or 62 is moved which is locked to the operating bar by one of the pins 83. In asmuch as a push button for one of the upper magazines has been manipulated, it is one of the plungers 66 which will be moved causing a top pushout plate 67 to push out the lowermost pack 19 of the particular magazine. During forward movement of the plunger 66 the particular pack holder 71 for said plunger is simultaneously moved forwardly to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 1, as is the gate 76, the latter sliding on suitable supports on the sides of the cabinet such as the supports 102. This therefore leaves the ,way clear for the pack of cigarettes to be moved forwardly from underneath its stack. During such movement of the gate 76, the rollers '78 at the lower ends of its legs 77 free the lugs 98 of the delivery bin, and act on the bottom wall 97 of the delivery bin to swing the bin on its pivot 99 from the full line position of Fig. 1 to the dot and dash line position therein. This swinging movement takes place quickly during the first part of the plunger stroke so that the bin is in position to receive the package just before the package falls. The falling package lands on the wall 97 of the bin while the latter is in a horizontal position. Thereafter the plunger returns to its normal position, and the pack holder 71 and gate 76 and are returned to the full line position of Fig. 1. At the end of the return stroke the engagement of the rollers 78 with the ears 98 swing said ears from the vertical position to the horizontal position of Fig. 1 causing return of the bin to the full line position of Fig. 1 and dumping of the package of cigarettes by the bin into the discharge chute 101 where it is accessible to the customer.

If it is desired to receive one of the packs 21 of one of the lower magazines, then the customer pushes one of the buttons 26 instead of one of the buttons 25. This causes energization of one of the solenoids associated with one of the plungers 62 for the lower magazines. These plungers have the depending pushout plates 63 connected thereto, as shown in Fig. 3, and act to eject the uppermost pack 21 from a lower magazine. The operation is otherwise the same as when discharging from an upper magazine. However, no pack holders such as the pack holders 71 are necessary in connection with the lower magazines because the uppermost pack is urged upwardly with suificient force by the elevators 45 to eliminate the possibility of upper packs being jarred out of position by someone seeking to cheat, there being sulficient friction between the top of the pack and the bottom of the plunger housing.

After a pack has been ejected from the top of a lower magazine, the next pack 21 is pushed upwardly against the bottom of the plunger housing by the elevator finger 45, the feed being against gravity. The downward feed of the packs in the upper magazines, however, is entirely under the influence of gravity.

In filling the lower magazines, if they were filled while in normal position, and if a few packs were left in each magazine, there would be a tendency to load on top of the old packs, with the result that several packs in each of the lower magazines would probably never be vended unless a magazine were completely exhausted before being filled. To remedy this situation the novel arrangement of Fig. 1 has been devised whereby the lower magazines are mounted as a unit to swing on the pivots 35, when the front 16 of the cabinet is open. When thus swung to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 1, the lower magazines are, of course, inverted. Then, by moving the elevator lifts out of the way and filling by gravity while the magazines are inverted, any remaining packs will be in a position to be the first ones to be vended upon reuse of the machine.

From the above it is apparent that a very desirable machine has been provided which permits the display of twice as many types or brands in the same floor space. It is also apparent that due to the arrangement of feeding upwardly in the lower magazines and feeding downwardly by gravity in the upper magazines, that several of the packs of both sets of magazines are always visible from the sight window.

It is also clear that with the present invention a common pushout plunger unit may be employed for both the upper and lower magazines, alternate plungers in .said housing being adapted to coact with the packages '7 at the bottom of the upper magazines, and the other plungers being adapted to coact with packages at the top of the lower magazines. It is also apparent that the invention simplifies the filling of the lower magazines while keeping the packs in proper rotational order.

Various changes and modifications and other adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall with transverse slots positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall with transverse slots against which wall the tops of the columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout somber for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine and having a neck extending through a slot of the upper wall of said horizontal housing and slidable therein, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slicable in said housing and connected to the neck of its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine having a neck projecting upwardly through a slot of the bottom wall of the horizontal housing and positioned to engage the uppermost pack of merchandise of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said last pushout members located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the first-mentioned pushout plungers slidable in said horizontal housing and connected to the neck of its pushout member for operating the latter, and means for operating a selected plunger.

2. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispens- ,1

ing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines,

.means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the 7 columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each .of said last-mentioned pushout members and located in substantially the same horizontal plane as'the first-mentioned pushout plungers slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, a movably mounted plunger operating bar extending transversely of all of said plungers, and means for connecting only a selected plunger to said operating bar.

3. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said lastmentioned pushout members and located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the first-mentioned pushout plungers slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, means for op erating a selected plunger, a pack holding extension projecting forwardly from each plunger of an upper magazine pushout member, said extension having a finger positioned in front of the lowermost pack of an upper magazine to prevent displacement of said pack prior to movement of the plunger for said magazine.

4. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said last-mentioned pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, a movably mounted plunger operating bar extending transversely of all of said plungers and having a locking hole for each plunger, a pin movably mounted in each plunger in a position to enter a locking hole when the operating bar is at rest, and means for moving a selected pin to connect only a selected plunger to said operating bar.

5. In a merchandise vending machine having a cabinet provided with a discharge chute, merchandise magazines in said cabinet having dispensing ends, means including a slidable operating plunger for each magazine mounted for movement adjacent the dispensing end thereof for dispensing merchandise therefrom, a gate movably mounted in said cabinet and normally positioned to close the dispensing ends of said magazines, legs depending from said gate, a discharge bin oscillatably mounted in said cabinet between the dispensing ends of said magazines and the discharge chute, said bin having a wall positioned to intercept merchandise dispensed from a magazine when said bin is in one position, means for o erating a selected plunger, means between said plunger operating means and said gate for opening said gate whenever a plunger is actuated, and cooperating means on the depending legs of said gate and on said bin for swinging said bin to an oscillated position to intercept merchandise whenever the gate is moved to open position and for swinging said bin to a position to dump merchandise into said discharge chute when the gate is moved in a return direction.

6. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the columns or" merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said last-mentioned pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, a movably mounted plunger operating bar extending transversely of all of said plungers, means for connecting only a selected plunger to said operating bar, the pushout plungers for the upper and lower magazines alternating in position with one another and the pushout member for each upper magazine projecting upwardly from its plunger and being laterally oitset in one direction and the pushout member for each lower magazine projecting downwardly from its plunger and being laterally ofiset in a direction opposite to the offset for the pushout members of the upper magazines.

7. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate the latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said last-mentioned pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, a movably mounted plunger operating bar extending transversely of all of said plungers, and means for releasably connecting a selected plunger to said operating bar.

8. In a vending machine for packs of goods, said machine having a cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed upper magazines in said cabinet having bottom dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet toward which packs are urged by gravity, a plurality of vertically disposed lower magazines having top dispensing ends located intermediate the height of the cabinet and below the dispensing ends of the upper magazines, means for urging packs of merchandise upwardly in said lower magazines, a horizontally disposed housing having an upper Wall positioned to support bottoms of the columns of merchandise packs in the upper magazines and having a bottom wall against which the tops of the columns of merchandise packs in the lower magazines are urged, a pack pushout member for each upper magazine positioned to engage the lowermost pack of its magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member to operate latter, a pack pushout member for each lower magazine below the bottom wall of the horizontal housing positioned to engage the uppermost pack of its lower magazine, a pushout plunger for each of said last-mentioned pushout members slidable in said housing and connected to its pushout member for operating the latter, a movably mounted plunger operating bar extending transversely of all of said plungers, locking means connected to each plunger, and means for actuating the locking means of a selected plunger to releasably connect said plunger to said operating bar.

9. In a merchandise vending machine having a cabinet provided with a discharge chute, merchandise magazines in said cabinet having dispensing ends, means including a slidable operating plunger for each magazine mounted for movement adjacent the dispensing end thereof for dispensing merchandise therefrom, a gate movably mounted in said cabinet and normally positioned to close the dispensing ends of said magazines, a discharge bin oscillatably mounted in said cabinet between the dispensing ends of said magazines and the discharge chute, said bin having a wall positioned to intercept merchandise dispensed from a magazine when said bin is in one position, means for operating a selected plunger, means between said plunger operating means and said gate for opening said gate whenever a plunger is actuated, and cooperating means on said gate and on said bin for swinging said bin to an oscillated position to intercept merchandise whenever the gate is moved to open position and for swinging said bin to a position to dump merchandise into said discharge chute when the gate is moved in a return direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 402,374 Williams Apr. 30, 1889 493,805 Ayer Mar. 21, 1893 691,990 Warren Jan. 28, 1902 905,317 Holden Dec. 1, 1908 1,393,588 Tuttle Oct. 11, 1921 1,611,742 Hammer Dec. 21, 1926 1,994,342 Fry Mar. 12, 1935 2,106,171 Fogelson Jan. 25, 1938 2,241,489 Steiner May 13, 1941 2,323,981 Du Grenier et al July 13, 1943 2,380,093 Wilder July 10, 1945 2,493,976 Klemm et a1. Jan. 10, 1950 2,522,386 Lindstrom et a1. Sept. 12, 1950 2,638,396 Gabrielsen May 12, 1953 2,700,586 Shepherd Jan. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 112,948 Austria Apr. 25, 1929 

